Embed from Getty Images News of what the Liberal Democrats have done on two councils where no party has a majority following this month's local elections. From About Milton Keynes: Milton Keynes Labour Party Leader Peter Marland and Lib Dem Leader Douglas McCall today signed a new 12-month Partnership Agreement. Under the new Enhanced Partnership, the Milton Keynes Labour Group will continue to run the Council in return for delivering the whole of the Lib Dem manifesto and giving the Lib Dems an enhanced role in formatting future Council policy. And from the Lincolnshire Reporter: The Liberal Democrats group on ...

North of Leicester the River Soar is joined by the River Wreake. The Wreake used to be navigable as far as Melton Mowbray, where there was a basin beside the railway station. From there a canal ran to another basin close to the centre of Oakham. The Queen Elizabeth Theatre of Oakham School is housed in an old warehouse that stood beside that basin. I managed to get a couple of photographs of it on Saturday, though the theatre is now surrounded by other school buildings. There has been talk of restoring navigation to Melton, which certainly looks possible. Getting ...

The latest Liberal Democrat selection of a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) has taken place in Phil Willis's former seat of Harrogate and Knaresborough. Judith Rogerson was the pick of party members: Delighted to have been selected and looking forward to working hard with the team to win back the seat for the @LibDems! https://t.co/A2IL9Z5GH3 — Judith Rogerson (@jmrogerson) May 13, 2018

The Liverpool Echo has the story on its web site – see link above Good job this was spotted and that Sefton Council is acting on the matter. Hope it's now fixed; this cycle path is well used and you certainly do not want to encounter deep ruts/holes on a cycle path.

# Everyone within Liverpool Council needs to know why the Council has acted in the way that it did for 7 years in the case of Mr Fitzgerald. The people of Liverpool have paid out a lot of money they ... Continue reading →

Current Looking For JJ, by Anne Cassidy Collected Works, ed. Nick Wallace Mind Over Ship, by David Marusek Summer in Orcus, by T. Kingfisher A Skinful of Shadows, by Frances Hardinge Last books finished Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate, by Zoe Quinn Ammonite, by Nicola Griffith The Stone Sky, by N.K. Jemisin The Black Tides of Heaven, by JY Yang No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters, by Ursula K. Le Guin Sleeping with Monsters: Readings and Reactions in Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Liz Bourke ...

With summer and GDPR just around the corner, now is the ideal time to tackle that old cobweb covered data. So in the spirit of mucking in together we'd love the whole party to join in with a Data Spring Clean on Saturday 19th May 2018 . You don't need bleach, a feather duster or polish. All you need is your computer, any data which is no longer of any use and possibly a shredder. Before beginning check the Data Retention Rules available on the website. Any data which does not meet these rules, is no longer within our scope ...

I had my fourth chemotherapy cycle (one infusion of Rituximab, followed by 4 infusions of high-dose Cytarabine 12 hours apart) as an in-patient at the end of last week. This time I was in a bay with four other patients rather than in a side room, so it felt rather less isolating than cycle 2. I was fortunate to end ... The post Fourth chemotherapy cycle complete appeared first on ten pence piece.

When I first started documenting trans people who had stood for elected office, the aim was simple. Demonstrate to those interested in putting themselves forward for public office that being trans and non-binary is no longer a big deal. With the record number of openly trans and non-binary candidates standing in 2016, it very much appeared that mission had been accomplished – and not just in terms of candidates, but also those having been elected, with the total currently standing at five. As a reminder, here is the list prior to the local elections. Gantly was first elected in 2014, ...

Lighting Up Whickham are holding a race night on Saturday 26th May at Glebe Sports Club, from 7pm to raise funds for the Whickham Christmas tree. To order tickets go to the Lighting Up Whickham Facebook page.

For Suffragists, Swimming and Voting Often Went Hand-in-Hand The Strange Reason Why It's Illegal to Take Nighttime Photos of the Eiffel Tower If you like what you see here (or even if you don't) please consider dropping me a tip: [IMG: Paypal Donate Button] [IMG: Buy Me an uncaffeinated beverage (because I'm allergic to coffee) at ko-fi.com] [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments

Last Thursday, members of Gateshead Council received an email informing us that Martin Gannon, Labour leader of the authority, had gone into hospital for urgent treatment. When I received the news I called Martin on his mobile. He was comfortable but very bored! So Martin, get well soon and get back to leading the council. It's a good cure for boredom!

Responding to Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's state visit to the UK today, leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable, said: "The UK has a strong, proud history of democracy and human rights, but our reputation on the world stage is in danger of being eroded by this Conservative government's desire to woo world leaders like Trump and Erdogan. "May's administration appears to have substituted diplomacy for sycophancy in its pursuit of Brexit. "By permitting a state visit and audience with the Queen, May and Johnson are essentially rolling out the red carpet for a man with a disregard for ...

The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is in London at the moment, partly, he says, to thank Britain for being a steadfast supporter in the wake of the 2016 failed coup. A possible post-Brexit trade deal also featured in his official talks, with some media reporting that Ankara hopes to extract a commitment from the Conservative [...]

Over the weekend, Nigel Farage, who has managed to keep effectively stirring the shit in British politics long past the point you would have ever thought possible, said he thinks Theresa May is thinking of calling another general election. His proof for this was May's admittedly rather odd social media post, which read: "The path I set out here is the path to deliver the Brexit people voted for. I will need your help and support to get there. And in return my pledge to you is simple: I will not let you down" "I need your help and support" ...

Commenting on MI5 chief Andrew Parker's speech, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:"The chief of MI5 could not be clearer - Britain's security and our fight against terrorism now relies on European cooperation more than ever in our history. "So for this Brexit Conservative Government to play Russian roulette with the safety and security of Britain could not be more reckless. "Despite all the promises, there is no evidence that the Brexit negotiations have produced any deal on security that can match what we have now."While it is in the interests of both sides to find some compromise, ...

Responding to reports that the UK Government may extend civil partnerships to heterosexual couples, Baroness Lynne Featherstone, who successfully pioneered the legislation that delivered same-sex marriage, said: "Liberal Democrats have always been clear that people who love each other should be allowed to celebrate their love as they wish. That is why we wanted to introduce civil partnerships for heterosexual couples alongside same-sex marriage. "However, it was the Conservatives who blocked this. In fact, for too long there has been a consistent desire from the Conservatives to get rid of civil partnerships altogether. "I therefore welcome their reported U-turn with ...

The latest round of regular European polling by BMG for Left Foot Forward once again shows the public is confused as to what the Brexit stance is off all the main parties. But there is a slight improvement in the Lib Dem position.

Ludlow Town Council and Shropshire Council are investigating a scheme to restrict parking in the Market Square and Castle Square. The restricted zone would also cover Harp Lane, Church Street and College Street. It would operate seven days a week, either between 7am and 7pm or for 24 hours. The proposals follow complaints about inconsiderate parking by car and van drivers, and motorcyclists. Ludlow Town Council says: "Visitors are getting a poor impression of our beautiful town!" The consultation closes on 31 May 2018. The consultation follows complaints from town centre residents, organisations and businesses about hazardous and inconsiderate parking ...

These are the solar panels on Maghull Town Hall roof. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44059865 The BBC has the article on its web site – see link above I'm a big fan of solar energy and the fact that here in the UK we are still building new properties, be they houses or retail/commercial premises, without solar panels is utter madness. Are our politicians incapable of taking the need for clean renewable energy seriously despite global warming probably being the greatest environmental threat to future generations?

The Guardian has the opinion piece on its web site – see link above It is indeed utterly bizarre that many of those who made sure the House of Lords could not be democratically reformed are now attacking that very same institution because it's trying to save the UK from a Brexit so dangerous to our economy, to jobs, to the NHS etc. etc. whilst the House of Commons falls behind May and Corbyn whilst not speaking out. We live in very dangerous times when the House of Commons is so weak that only the unelected House of Lords ...

The Liberal Democrats are not in a good place. They haven't been for some time, but there's now a risk that recovery will never come. Since 2015, the party has failed to rebuild support. Tim Farron talked of a "Lib Dem Fightback" which proved to be anything but, now Vince Cable is declaring the Lib Dems a "well-kept secret" - not much of a boast. The rise in membership has been a success story and the party had a very decent showing in May's local elections. Yet the big picture is one of a rot left untreated. The local election ...

FinTech is an evolving technological phenomenon with disruptive potential in primarily consumer financial services at both ends of the office – front and back. FinTech's proponents, mostly entrepreneurs and investors, believe that it is going to disrupt the traditional bank intermediation, creating economic efficiency through elimination of intermediary costs and bringing about social good by [...] The post FinTech isn't going to see off the big banks any time soon appeared first on Radix.

The British poet, Elizabeth Bibesco, once said that 'Irony is the hygiene of the mind' but there is nothing cleansing about the hypocritic decision by the UK Government to host a summit encouraging six European countries to join the EU for the sake of their "security, stability and prosperity", months before it is due to sign its own Brexit withdrawal deal with Brussels. The Independent reports that in July London will play host to Western Balkans governments including Serbia and Albania, as well as existing EU member states, to discuss reforms to pave the way to future EU enlargement: The ...

From the council's Neighbourhood Services Area manager for the west of the city : "As you may have noticed that there is an area of grass that has been killed off in the middle of the park - this is due to a damaged underground cable. SSE will be carrying out extensive repair works to this on the 28th May This will comprise of large excavations for around 5/6 weeks. The area will be secured with Heras fencing each night and weekends. Once repairs have been completed SSE sub contractors will repair the area."